DCLM Daily Manna 23 April 2023 Devotional By Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Pyrrhic Victory
TOPIC: Pyrrhic Victory (DCLM Daily Manna 23 April 2023)
KEY VERSE: “Then Asa the king took all Judah; and they carried away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah” (2 Chronicles 16:6).
TEXT: 1 Chronicles 16:1-14 (KJV)
1 So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it: and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.
2 And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord.
3 And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.
4 And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel:
5 Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom: and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps; but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;
6 Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.
7 Then on that day David delivered first this psalm to thank the Lord into the hand of Asaph and his brethren.
8 Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.
11 Seek the Lord and his strength, seek his face continually.
12 Remember his marvellous works that he hath done, his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;
13 O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
14 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
MESSAGE:
Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Pyrrhic victory as “a victory that is not worth winning because so much is lost to achieve it”. The word comes from the name of Pyrrhus, a long-ago king of Epirus, who suffered heavy losses in defeating the Romans at Asculum in Apulia in 279 BC. A pyrrhic victory then is actually a defeat in the end.
Such was the experience of Asa the king of Judah who went into an alliance with Benhadad, the king of Syria, to fight Baasha, the king of Israel. With the assistance of the Syrian king, Asa won the battle over Israel. However, God was not happy that he sought human help when he could have called on the Lord. God, therefore, sent Hanani, the prophet, to point out his errors.
Unfortunately, King Asa complicated matters by arresting the prophet and by taking other oppressive measures against his citizens.
Divine retribution was swift. “Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease, he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians” (2 Chronicles 16:12). The physicians could not help him, for two years later, he died.
He was a good starter but a poor finisher.
Life is not all about gold and silver. It is wrong to think like Asa that the end will always justify the means. God must be our greatest priority. You cannot trust the arm of flesh and expect a lasting victory. It is better to get God on your side here on earth. You cannot serve Satan on earth and expect eternal life with Him in heaven.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
The Christian doesn’t win “at all costs” – he wins only through God.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Romans 7-9
Deeper Life Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
